SINGAPORE - Two former Progress Singapore Party (PSP) members have registered a new political party named Red Dot United, with the intention of contesting the next general election.
Ravi Philemon and Michelle Lee, who resigned separately from the party led by Dr Tan Cheng Bock earlier this year, said they submitted the application for the party to the Registry of Societies on Tuesday (May 26). The party currently has 12 members aged between 25 and 55.
If approved, it will bring the total number of opposition parties here up to 12.
Philemon, who will be the secretary-general of Red Dot United, said during a virtual media conference: "Our goal is to build a political-social platform, and not just another political party. Matters of government and policy must be accessible and easily understood by all Singaporeans, whether old or young, or a new citizen."
He said that as the world and Singapore are changing, even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Singaporeans need to be more politically active to get the Government to focus on issues which affect ordinary Singaporeans, instead of just trusting their leaders.
"We are not best served by an elite class with their heads in the clouds. To get a robust nation and society, we must educate, enable and empower our citizens to engage in dialogue and effective debate without fear," said Philemon.
The Ministry of Home Affairs previously said that the average processing time for registering a new political party would be about two months.
Philemon said that if it is still not approved after a couple of weeks, the party will write in to the registry to request that its application be expedited, given the possibility that an election could be called before the party is registered.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
